Prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,212,052 discloses an electrical connector wherein a female completely metallic slotted spring contact element is insertable into a bore of an insulating body or holder and expanded into firm locking engagement with the holder when a male contact element is inserted into the slotted end of the female element. Only when the male element is removed can the slotted female metallic contact element be separated from the insulating holder and only then with the assistance of a tool. The patented device has other limitations including a lack of suitability for applications where the holder or body is metallic or includes a metallic layer.
The objective of the present invention is to improve on the construction and operation of the prior patented device and to expand the range of utility of that type of device so that it may be employed on holders, bodies, panels or other modules formed of metal, dielectric material, or part metal and part dielectric material.
Another object of the invention is to dispense with the necessity of a tool when separating the insulating shell from the panel or module after removal of the male spring contact from the shell.
A further object is to reduce the cost of manufacturing of the electrical connector by reducing the amount of metal employed and by constructing the insulating shell to accept a standard commercial-type of replaceable spring contact probe.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a connector to meet the specific needs of widely used computer interface equipment.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description.